March 29, 2010

City Hall and its famous fountain located at Grote Markt (Great Market).

Notice the statue cocking his arm to throw what appears to be an oversized, severed hand. Legend says a giant in Antwerp punished those that didn't pay bridge toll by amputating their hand. A Roman soldier named Silvius Brabo slew the giant and hucked his justly severed hand into the river Scheldt. Hence the name Antwerpen, translated from the local language, Dutch, means hand-throw (hand-werpen). So goes one explanation for the origin of the name of Europe's largest port, Antwerp.

EDIT: Rotterdam is Europe's largest port, Antwerp is number two. Thanks to Germanian, Zilke for pointing out my error.